Devon AM minute: No current investments in West-Bank-active companies,
Investment policy under revue by Trustees.

[Off the record:

 1) Reconsidering the way central committees report to Sufferings and
    the way Sufferings handles them: this is still being discussed in
    the background, and it may be appropriate to review at our
    residential meeting in 11/18, perhaps in small (house?) groups.

 2) Trustees are gearing up to consider [the value for money of]
    Yearly Meeting the event.]

BDRPG

(Paul writes to 2T 1:14 [?] By the Holy Spirit, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.)

They are recommending that we have a full revision.

Merged the 2 books (w/o review of the CG bits) in the 1994 revision.

2014 YM declined to decide, but MfS set up BDRPG to advise Sufferings
about what to do next.

Reading QF&P has been a success (much more than expected)
 Engaging
 Understanding why revision is appropriate
 Listening to differences
   Ref. theism/non-theism, but BDRPG don't like the binarism of this,
   and find in particular that although non-theism is a label some
   adopt for themselves, theism is almost always applied to _others_.
   New pamphlet _God, words and us_ from 'theology think-tank'

Discussion with CDAG confirmed that CG parts really need a complete
rewrite.
 * Not only are the only completely up-to-date CG parts are online;
 * Lots of supplementary information is also available but not
   'officially' part of 'the book'

Basic recommendation: separate core from supplementary
 E.g. new Chap. 16 (Marriage) -- 1-15 Core, 16-- supplementary

Full vs. partial
 "Doing half a job is not a sensible option"
 "Opportunity cost of not revising"
 "Those to whom the words don't speak"
   ['There is nothing that resonates with them']
 "Best of the past with what represents the best of the present"

Sufferings _expects_ that if YM agrees, Sufferings will be asked to
appoint (and oversee) a BDRC.

Sufferings endorsed the following summary recommendations and asked
that YM2018 agree the:

  the time is right to begin a revision of our book of discipline.
  This revision should:

  1. begin with, but not be limited to, church government, namely the
  sections which focus on our procedures and corporate discipline.

  2. divide material between that in the main body of the book, which
  lays out principles, and supplementary material, which gives
  details.

  3. draw on the richness of theological thought in our yearly
  meeting, now and historically, seeing diversity as fundamental to
  our community, not as a flaw

  4. give a Revision Committee the freedom to be creative while
  remaining in close contact with the yearly meeting.

[Draft Terms of Reference]

-----
Lobbying Act: Trustees are supporting an exploration of bringing a
case for judicial review to force the passage of an amendment to
remove the vulnerability to retrospective application of the Act in
the case of a snap election. [Bill Moyes, Royal High?]
-----
Contributions are up, a bit, in 2017, and budgetting for that to
happen again in 2018.
-------
*Sanctuary Everywhere Manifesto*

Second draft has come to us.  It combines good will and aims with some
inopportune phrasing.  MfS offered some further amendments to try to
address this, and then approved its publication.
-------
Adwoa Bittle (GM Clerk) gave an intro to GM, with a lot of good
detail, including our campaigns wrt Fracking, Militarism in Schools
and Economic Justice.

  See the GM website:  http://www.quakerscotland.org/
-------